Corinth mom always in kitchen cooking for others

Sep. 21—CORINTH — Kelly Phillips is always in the kitchen cooking for someone.

She might be making something to take to a neighbor or to church or hosting a graduation party or shower, or she might just be preparing a meal for her family.

"I'm all the time cooking for something," said Phillips, a stay-at-home parent. "My mother is a fantastic cook, so the apple didn't fall far from the tree."

Phillips was raised in Corinth, the youngest of three children born to Treva and Arnet Barnes. Her mother still lives in Corinth; her father died in 2013.

The 51-year-old started helping her mother in the kitchen when she was in elementary school. She'd do simple tasks, like deboning chicken or peeling eggs.

"My sister never cared much for cooking, but I was always in the kitchen with my mom," Phillips said. "And when she cooked fried chicken, all my friends wanted to come over and eat."

Fried chicken is still Phillips' favorite meal.

"Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and rolls," she said. "I don't have my mom's recipe down pat at all. I still want her to cook it for me as long as she can."

Phillips and her husband, John, have two daughters. Lauren, 20, is a student at Mississippi State University, while Olivia, 15, is a freshman at Corinth High School.

"I cook at least four to five nights a week for my family," Phillips said. "We almost always grill on the weekends, if we're not tailgating. John is famous for his steaks."

If Phillips is cooking, the family might have shrimp and grits with blackened catfish on top along with a salad and bread, or spaghetti with meat sauce, savory green beans and garlic knots.

"Sometimes I'll make a dessert," she said. "I don't like to do cakes that are real involved. I'm not a big baker, other than my homemade sourdough bread."

The couple likes to entertain and often has family or friends over two or three times a month.

"Sometimes, we just do appetizers," she said. "Sometimes we have a meal, like steaks with twice-baked potatoes, or a pasta dish, or shrimp and crab legs. And sometimes, it's just burgers, baked beans and potato salad."

John doesn't care much for leftovers, so Phillips has learned to be creative in the kitchen.

"I either have to cook something fresh every meal, or reinvent leftovers," she said. "If we have steak one night, the next night I might fix steak quesadillas."

Phillips often turns to Southern Living magazine for new recipes and she always relies on the original "Bell's Best" cookbook.

"You can't beat 'Bell's Best,'" she said. "It's one of my staples. Sometimes, instead of sitting down with a book to read, I'll sit down with a cookbook. It's therapy for me. I'm always looking for new appetizer recipes. I tell my friends it's all about the presentation."

DO YOU KNOW A GOOD COOK? Send your nominations to Ginna Parsons, Cook of the Week, P.O. Box 909, Tupelo, MS 38802. Or you can call (662) 678-1581 or email them to ginna.parsons@journalinc.com.

SHRIMP AND GARLIC CHEESE GRITS

6 cups chicken broth

4 cups half-and-half

2 1/2 cups quick-cooking grits

1 pound Velveeta processed cheese, cubed

2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder

1 stick butter

1 bunch green onions, chopped

2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and tails off

Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning

Parsley flakes, for garnish

Combine chicken broth and half-and-half in a stock pot. Bring to a boil and add grits. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until grits are done. Add cubed cheese and garlic powder and stir until cheese is melted. Keep warm.

In a skillet, melt the butter. Add green onions and shrimp and sprinkle Tony's overall. Saute until shrimp are pink in color and onions are tender.

Add shrimp mixture to grits. Garnish with parsley. Serve immediately in a warm chafing dish. Serves 10 to 12.

COCONUT POUND CAKE

CAKE

2 cups self-rising flour

2 cups sugar

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk

5 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sweetened flaked coconut

TOPPING

1/2 stick butter

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons coconut flavoring

For the cake, combine flour, sugar, oil and milk. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Stir in vanilla and coconut. Pour batter into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

For the topping, combine butter, water, sugar and coconut flavoring in a saucepan. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes.

When cake is done, remove it from oven and punch holes in the top with a skewer or icepick. Pour topping on top of cake and let it sit in the tube pan for 45 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.

PUTTIN' ON THE RITZ DIP

2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

4 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

8 slices cooked, crumbled bacon

1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed

In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, mayonnaise and Swiss cheese. Add green onions to mixture and stir.

Pour mixture into a greased baking dish. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and top with crushed crackers. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Good served with Wheat Thins or toasted French baguette slices.

TURNIP GREEN SOUP

1 pound frozen, chopped turnip greens

2 cans Great Northern beans, undrained

2 packages Knorr vegetable soup mix

4 cups water

2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced and lightly browned

Combine all ingredients in a heavy stock pot or Dutch oven and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Serve with cornbread.

MARINATED PORK TENDERLOINS

1 (2-count) package pork tenderloins

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup Allegro marinade

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon Tones Rosemary Garlic Seasoning

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Place pork tenderloins in a gallon-size ziptop bag. Combine soy sauce, Allegro, Worcestershire, minced garlic, Tones and Tabasco and add to bag. Let pork marinate in the refrigerator at least 2 to 3 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook, place pork and its marinade in a Dutch oven. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Let rest 15 to 20 minutes before slicing. Save cooking juices to pour over pork slices.

SAVORY GREEN BEANS

1 stick butter

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

4 cans cut green beans, drained

1/2 cup crumbled bacon

Melt butter in a saucepan, then add garlic and soy sauce. Slowly add brown sugar until mixture thickens. If it's too thick, add more soy sauce or a little water.

Place drained green beans in a casserole. Pour sugar mixture over all and top with crumbled bacon. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

STRAWBERRY AND SPINACH SALAD

DRESSING

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

SALAD

Romaine lettuce hearts, chopped

Fresh spinach, stemmed

1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup Craisins

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (optional)

For the dressing, whisk together oil, sugar, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper and paprika. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the salad, place Romaine, spinach, strawberries, toasted nuts and Craisins in a serving bowl and toss to mix. Pour desired amount of dressing over all when ready to serve.

ginna.parsons@djournal.com